60,000 police officers 'could be axed by 2015' due to Government funding cuts

As many as 60,000 police offers could lose their jobs due to government spending cuts, an expert has warned today.

The figure represents the worst-case scenario after the Treasury told departments to prepare for cuts of 40 per cent, according to research carried out by a former chief constable.

Cuts to the police force could be as high as 40 per cent, but are predicted to be around 25 per cent, former chief constable of Gloucestershire Dr Tim Brain warned.

Cuts: Thousands of police jobs could be axed, an expert has warned today.

This would mean fewer police on the beat and carrying out investigative duties, he said in Jane's Police Review magazine.

Dr Brain, who also recently retired as Association of Chief Police Officers lead on
finance, based the predictions on ‘clues’ and projections by the
Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS).

He suggested that if the police receive average cuts, resulting job
losses could be between 11,500 and 17,000, although this would vary
across forces.

‘Obviously, we don't yet know, and nor will we know for certain
until the results of the spending reviews in the autumn, but in the
meantime there are some clues,' Dr Brain said.

‘First, the police service is not on the protected list.

‘Second, the new Home Secretary Theresa May has warned that the
police can expect to face its fair share of cuts, and third, there has
specifically been no guarantee to maintain personnel numbers but it
would appear we are looking at job losses in the police forces of
11,500-17,000 if the police are to suffer the Government's average
cuts.'

Official national spending figures for 2010-11 have not yet been
revealed, but IFS analysis after the Budget forecast that public
spending levels would return to levels last seen in 1997-98.

In this scenario the equivalent of 60,000 full-time equivalent posts would be lost by 2015, according to Dr Brain.

Some forces receive more grant money from the Government than
others, which would mean the effects of cuts will not be felt evenly
across all forces, he added.

Dr Brain noted his projections were based on estimates and assumptions in a ‘highly unpredictable environment’.

‘The Government is in control of the rules and small percentage
changes here or there when magnified by billions make a lot of
difference,’ he added.

‘Furthermore, the Government plans for most of the cuts to fall in 2014-15, so there's plenty of time to change the detail.’

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60,000 police officers 'could be axed by 2015' due to Government funding cuts